Friday, 2 August 2013

Peasoup doesn't make for nice pictures...

Thank you so much for all the really lovely comments I received in the last couple of posts - you are all so very kind and it cheered me up no end to hear from you all again. 16 weeks now and still puking... well, I seem to get a day off or two in between now which I suppose is an improvement! Mum went home a couple of weeks ago and I'm surviving anyway. Got a bit miserable when BT took most of the week to fix the broadband... bit disturbing just how miserable no internet made me! Then again, if man was home I'd have been okay. Well, not so bad anyway....

I do have a couple of finishes to show, the first is from mums first visit up, my take on the scrappy trip along with a Momo jelly roll.

It was very much a combined effort - I drew up the pattern, pieced the blocks, joined some of the blocks. Mum took over block joining when my energy gave out.
Lovely Emily did the basting and did a beautiful all over stipple quilting. From now on all my quilts go to Emily for her fabulous basting service. I've never had the room to do it, and now I cant bend over...
I made the binding, machined it onto the front, and mum took over the hand stitching to the back when it took me 3 goes to get 10" along.... I dont think the photo quite does it justice as it really is a bright and lively quilt.

To keep busy whilst I moped about on the sofa / in bed with a bucket, mum took a stack of charms I'd cut to make a siblings together quilt, and she came up with this one.
Honestly I think I picked a dodgy combination of fabrics here, we both struggled with it for a while, but when finished I think it looks fine and I hope it will give some wee brother a nice quilty cuddle.

The other finish is one that is currently with Jo in Edinburgh for the Modern Quilting Exhibition! I sent this, Staind II and Dorothy. The quilts by others that I know of that will also be there are proper beauties, so I hope mine dont let the show down too much! I like them though, and they're mine, so they fulfill their purpose!
Mum was flicking through some of my many, many unmade quilt designs one day and chose this one. Of course I already had the fabric bundle specifically for it sitting waiting, so she was happy to get stuck in! I do that you know. I draw up quilts, I get all the fabrics, I bundle it up, and it just sits there for years in a massive big queue. Seriously, if I had normal energy levels and perfect health, there'd be quilts filling every cupboard in the house. (Instead of just the one. And two rooms of "bundles").
Anyway...
Another combined effort. I did the design. Mum did the piecing and basted it. I did the quilting, and after 3 attempts, I managed to bind it. Nope, no idea what the f*** went wrong with this one but it was my worst effort at binding ever the first time. Still, third time lucky and I did manage to post it just in time!

Again, I wish the weather hadn't been so "peasoup" (we've had almost a month of mist or fog up here) so the light could have been better for this one. The colours are just wonderful. As I was quilting I was constantly dreaming up new quilts with the colour combinations created on each strip here. They really are yummy.

There are a few more tops with Emily for basting, and another top I'm quite excited about is getting closer to completion. I'm still having to fire up the old tank (old laptop) to blog, as my laptop has died and gone to hell.... and I'm useless at "typing" on the pad thingy - so I'm sorry I've not quite been back in commenting mode yet. Hopefully Man will be home and get me a new laptop by the end of the month!!! Not that thats the only reason I want him home of course. There's hoovering needing done too...

35 comments:

What an amazing set of finishes!!! If you produce all that when you're not feeling great, what will it be like when you feel better?! They are absolutely great, and I can see the colours are beautiful, even though they have been photographed in pea soup...

The quilts are wonderful, I love them all, especially that last one, well and the first one too. I got to spend time with Emily at the retreat and she is just wonderful so I am glad to hear she is basting and quilting for you.

I love all of these quilts, especially the first and last. I'm glad you're feeling a wee bit better but am sorry to hear that the sickness hasn't disappeared...I keep thinking about you and wondering how you're doing but, to be honest, I'm jiggered (this fence painting lark may finish me off!) so I'm not on the computer much. Or rather, I am but I'm dotting all over the place and can't really concentrate long enough to leave comments or reply to/compose emails. This may be the longest thing I've typed in weeks ;o) Take care xxxx

what great team you and mum make! i love the secondary pattern in the range & blue siblings quit, i think its a vanishing nine patch, corners and center blue and edge middles in orange? I've never noticed the offset + before. the last quilt top is lovely, are they applied circles? snowball blocks?

I love the blue & orange quilt! You have achieved loads considering the belly full of arms & legs & the puking. Dear god I remember the puking so well from my pregnancy, not one to ordinarily puke easily I could have puked for a gold medal!! Why don't they give those??? It seems my previous comment disappeared into the ether but my congratulations are no less hearty. Very exciting times for you & loads of new sewing & knitting opportunities.Hears to less of the puking, more of the sewing.Lush x

Lovely quilts, especially your version of the scrappy trip one. Sorry to hear you are still feeling so sick. Hoping it starts to ease off soon. Chuckling at your to do list for your man!! :-) Take care. Xxx

Love them all by especially the one I have in my possession (bwahaha!). It looks fabulous hanging next to Katy's retro flowers quilt, they go really well together. I will do an exhibition preview post later this week but I think you've already seen Jonathan's photos on facebook. Sorry you are still puking :(